Improvement in pitmen



R. BUTTON.

PITMAN. No.174,791, Patented Mar'h14,1e7e.

NITED STATES ENT OFFICE.

RUFUS DUTTON, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DUTTON & OO.,

' OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN prrr/uam.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,791, dated March14,1876 application tiled September 29, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUFUs DU'r'roN, ofYonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Pitinan-Connections; and l dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescriptionthereof, and otits mode or manner of operation, referenee being had tothe accompanying drawings, andl to the letters of reference markedthereon, and making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved construction ofpitman-connection, the object or purpose of which is that the wear ofthe parts from use shall be constantly taken up, automatically, and thejoint thus always be kept close and tight.

My invention is more particularly designed for making the attachment ofthe pitman or connecting-rod to the knife-head in mowing or reapingmachines, and the description and drawings have more special referenceto such an application; but the invention is adapted to other uses andapplications.

Figure l shows a knife-head of a'mowingmachine connected to a portion ofthe connecting-rod according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a like View withFig'. 1, the bolt removed and the joint spread apart. Fig. 3 is adetached view of the bolt securing the joints or parts together. Fig. 4is a detached View,

slight-ly enlarged, of the device for holding and keeping tight thebolt.

`I use in making the connection a ball-andsocket joint, to preventtorsion or cramping of the joint when the upper and lower bearings ofthe connecting-rod are not in line or parallel with each other, or whenthe bar is folded or the points of the fingers are raised or lowered forthe purpose of varying the cut of the knife. Ordinarily the jointbetween the pitman or connecting-rod and the knife-l head is very liableto become worn and loose, thereby rendering the knife and knife-headliable to become broken, and otherwise materially injuring the machine.f

My invention eft'ectually remedies or prevents such difficulty and itsresults, as by it, as fast as the joint may become worn by use,

AA L..

is attached thereto by a thread cut in the inside, into which thepitman-rod, which has also a thread out upon it, is screwed andl heldfirmly by a jam-nut.

Any other convenient mode of connecting the two may be adopted, althoughI prefer the method described.

To the socket-piece Dl is also hinged a metallic piece, E, the lower endof which has also a socket, F, tted to receive the other side of theball C. Through the sockets D and F, and through the center of the ballC,

is a hole to take the bolt G; the hole in the ball being considerablylarger than such bolt or pin, so as to allow lateral movement of theball within `its sockets Without interference from the pin. One end ofsuch pin has a head, and at its other end recesses g g are made on itsopposite sides, to receive the wedge-shaped forked piece H, which isused to hold the pin .G in the sockets D and F, and press them upon theball C. The wedge-shaped fork H has a stem, h, which rests against aprojection on the socketpiece Df, and around such stem is put a coiledspring, l', which presses against such piece H, and forces its forks orprongs into the recesses g g, and, by their wedg'e form, holds thesockets D and F closely against the ball O. As the sockets of the ballbecome worn, the spring I, acting on the piece H, presses its wedgeshaped prongs into the recesses g g of the pin G, thereby drawing upsuch pin, andconstantly keeping the sockets D and F closely to the ballC, and thus continually securing a lproper operation of the parts. Insome cases but one recess in the pin G will be required, and but onewedgeshaped fork or fastening; but, when possible, two will bepreferred. The recess in such pin may also be in the form of a slotthrough it,

having a wedge-shaped key pas-sing through such slot, acted uponv by anysuitable spring.

This device or arrangement of a tapering 1. In combination with a.ball-and-socket joint, the recessed pin or bolt and tapering orwedge-shaped key or fastening, actuated by a spring, for automaticallytaking up the Wear of the joint, substantially as described.

2. The ball-and-socket joint, recessed bolt, wedged-shaped key, andspring, in combina.- tion with the knife-head and connecting-rod of amowing or reaping machine, substantially as herein described.

R. DUTTON. Witnesses:

S. D. LAW, A. T. GURLITZ.

